Gemella morbillorum prosthetic valve endocarditis

• Published in: Congestive heart failure (Greenwich, Conn.) Vol. 15; no. 6; p. 291
• Main Authors: Al Chekakie, M Obadah, Heroux, Alain, Montpetit, Michelle, Nemeh, Hassan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2009
• Subjects: Adult; Ampicillin - therapeutic use; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Aortic Valve - microbiology; Endocarditis, Bacterial - diagnosis; Endocarditis, Bacterial - drug therapy; Endocarditis, Bacterial - microbiology; Fatal Outcome; Gentamicins - therapeutic use; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - diagnosis; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Heart Valve Prosthesis - adverse effects; Heart Valve Prosthesis - microbiology; Humans; Imipenem - therapeutic use; Male; Metronidazole - therapeutic use; Penicillins - therapeutic use; Prosthesis-Related Infections - diagnosis; Prosthesis-Related Infections - drug therapy; Prosthesis-Related Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcaceae
• ISSN: 1751-7133
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7133.2009.00061.x

The authors describe a case of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Gemella morbillorum (GM), a gram-positive coccus that grows slowly in culture and occasionally causes a subacute to chronic form of IE. To the author's knowledge, this is the third case of GM prosthetic valve IE to be reported. Subacute to chronic IE caused by slow-growing organisms can be subtle in presentation and should be suspected in patients who have prosthetic valves presenting with worsening heart failure.